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When we were preparing for Rafa’s arrival I didn’t consider cloth nappies. Not for a moment. It’s not that I don’t care about the environment – I do. It’s just the work required didn’t fit our family situation. You see, it’s just the three of us. Patrick, Rafa and I. We didn’t have family or friends over to help once he was born, or afterwards. We were doing everything, including working, and having to run nappies in the wash wasn’t something that we had time or the mental clarity for. We also live in a city apartment and all our washing gets done in the washing machine and then the dryer, with only a little drying rack on the side. It didn’t make any sense for us to use cloth nappies and have our energy consumption increase dramatically. It just seemed counter intuitive.

Luckily, these days there are so many eco-conscious alternatives that fit situations like ours. We’ve tried a few brands and tried to balance what they offered with the price point. The last set of eco-friendly disposable nappies we tried were the Naty Nappies along with Naty Sensitive Wipes. To be honest, many disposable nappies that are eco-friendly end up being disappointing because they aren’t as effective at doing what they’re supposed to do. They sacrifice effectiveness for eco-friendliness, which means you ultimately end up having to use more and more of these often quite expensive nappies. I saw that Naty products had the tag line “go green without giving up performance” which I was hopeful for but wasn’t convinced of.

We’ve had a really good experience with the Naty nappies. They are only available online via The Baby Bag (which in itself is a fantastic company that delivers weekly baby supplies and has a great range of products for families). We got two different sizes to try on Rafa, as he was straddling the weight ranges. The Naty nappies are hypoallergenic, disposable and naturally breathable. Patrick and I were really curious about the outer layer of the nappy, it felt so soft – I did some research and found out it was made from organic, GMO-free corn. In addition to the nappies, we also tried the Naty Sensitive Wipes, which are cholrine-free, perfume-free and completely compostable.

Products like these eco-friendly nappies and compostable wipes, made it easier for me to not feel guilty about not wanting to use cloth nappies. These products provide an eco-conscious yet convenient alternative to cloth nappies. In terms of price point, Naty nappies are more expensive then the run of the mill disposable nappies (a pack of 26 Naty nappies are between $20-$22) while the wipes are incredibly reasonably priced at $4 per pack (of 57 wipes). While eco-friendly nappies are more expensive, they work out cheaper for us compared to having to run the washer and dryer constantly, and it also works out cheaper for us to use these nappies then it would be to spend our time dealing with cloth nappies, when we could be working or spending time doing fun things as a family.

I think cloth nappies really are a great alternative to disposable nappies, without a doubt, absolutely no arguments from me on this point. If your daily lives allow for the realities that accompany cloth nappies, that’s perfect. But where it does not, it’s nice to know there’s an effective and reasonable middle ground. To also help the situation along, we’ve introduced Rafa to the toilet and try to get him on it a few times a day. If he’s able to start using the toilet sooner, then we’ll be done with nappies and wipes sooner too.

You can find out more Naty products and other eco and child-friendly products at The Baby Bag.

*This post was created in conjunction with The Baby Bag, all opinions are my own.

One comment on “Why I’m Not Using Cloth Nappies”

Even with eco-disposables there’s still the issue of SAP: super absorbent polymers, which are crystal-like particles that turn to jelly when they absorb urine. There is no research as to whether or not they could be harmful. Until we can be sure, I’m using cloth. That’s the only thing I want next to my baby’s skin.